


Degradation

by Ink_Script_Sword



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 18:26:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3988213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Script_Sword/pseuds/Ink_Script_Sword
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The serum fails, and Steve feels nothing but relief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Degradation

Everything special about you came out of a bottle.

Now the bottle’s broken, glass shards are flying everywhere, and everything that’s useful about you is seeping between your bloody fingers.

Your cells are mutating, the endless repair cycle having gone into overdrive. The serum has failed.

Tony is curled against your side, deep bruises beneath his eyes. He is beautiful when he sleeps. He has been beside himself ever since the training exercise that left you with the bruise that wouldn’t heal. It’s been strangely painful watching him go through the various stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression. Acceptance isn’t exactly forthcoming, but you are hardly in the best position to criticise him when you skipped straight to it without lifting a finger to stay the death sentence. A curious apathy.

Towards yourself of course. Not to Tony, never to Tony. You can only view the failure of your body in terms of the way it’s breaking him, tearing down walls and revealing the vulnerability that his armour- both literally and metaphorically speaking- cannot hide.

The penthouse suite of the Tower has been converted into the most sophisticated medical centre the Stark billions can afford. He objected loudly to SHIELD’s attempt to detain you on the basis of their ‘superior’ medical facilities. He’s poured so many resources into research dedicated to saving your life that you feel alarmed, disquiet piercing your bubble of anhedonia. The only balm to your conscience is that the funds will outlast you, and will yield the sort of results the field of oncology far beyond its natural progression.

You of course will never see it, but the positive media attention should help cushion Stark Industries when Tony inevitably crumples at your departure.

Erskine did wonderful work. You’ve already lived far longer than you could have naturally with your immune-compromised pre-serum body. You had years with your sweetheart; saved the world tenfold, found a home for Bucky. You’ve always feared the end, when the lifespan your team- your family- came to an end, and their children, and their children’s children while you lingered on the earth, unchanging. When Thor finally took up rule of Asgard and the governments decided the Hulk was too great a risk.

This is your saving grace. Your soft whimper. You press a kiss to Tony’s forehead and smile.

A sigh, cough. You release your final, rattling breath and go gently into the night.

Tony doesn’t wake.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first post. Constructive criticism is most welcome. Apologies for the errors.


End file.
